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Education is big business. These are stories about the politicians, businesses, lobbyists and other leaders seeking to impact education decisions.

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February 20, 2013

Legislation Gives Florida School Districts More Flexibility On Class Sizes

A bill that would change the way schools are penalized for not complying with class size requirements is getting bipartisan support so far in Tallahassee. The House Choice and Innovation panel made a few tweaks to the legislation and approved it Wednesday with just one member voting against it. Voters approved a constitutional amendment in […]

February 19, 2013

The Other Problems With Florida’s New Education Standards And Testing

The cost and technology are the most obvious problems facing Florida schools as they try to implement new, tougher education standards and computerized testing. But Education Commissioner Tony Bennett told the State Board of Education politics are about to become an issue as well. The standards, known as Common Core State Standards, have been fully […]

Florida Schools Get ‘A Lot Of Flexibility’ Designing Teacher Evaluations

Teachers shouldn’t expect an apples-to-apples comparison when looking at new state-required evaluation scores. That’s because evaluations will vary — not just between charter schools and regular public schools — but between public school districts. Mike Kooi, Executive Director of the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, has been trying to set the record straight […]

February 18, 2013

Florida Lawmakers Might Delay New Education Standards, Testing For Some Grades

Florida lawmakers are considering allowing the state education commissioner to partially delay implementation of new, tougher education standards and testing. Senate education committee chairman John Legg, R-Port Richey, says Education Commissioner Tony Bennett has asked for 120 days to survey Florida school districts as to whether they can meet the fall 2014 deadline for new […]

February 13, 2013

Rubio Proposes Federal Private School Scholarship Program

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is proposing a federal tax credit to provide private school scholarships to students in low-income families. The program is similar to a Florida tax credit scholarship program approved in 2001. More than 50,000 students are enrolled in the Florida program, claiming $229 million in benefits. Individuals could claim a dollar-for-dollar tax […]

February 12, 2013

What The NEA President Wants To Hear In Tonight’s State Of The Union Address

The president of the National Education Association (NEA) expects to hear a few things from President Barack Obama during his State of the Union address tonight. Dennis Van Roekel leads the 3 million member labor union, which represents public school teachers and college and university staff. “[Obama] really talked about opportunity in his inauguration speech and that […]

February 8, 2013

State Board of Education Member Resigns Amid Business Troubles

Gov. Rick Scott filled three slots on the State Board of Education Thursday, reappointing John Padget of Key West and appointing Ada Armas of Coral Gables and John Colon of University Park. Colon, an executive with Wells Fargo Advisers, replaces Akshay “A.K.” Desai, who resigned from the board. Desai is a major Republican Party fundraiser, […]

February 7, 2013

Town Hall: Ask Florida Lawmakers About Their Education Priorities This Session

On Feb. 25, leaders from the Florida Legislature will be answering your questions at a Town Hall on Session 2013, an event sponsored by Global Integrity. Education is a big part of the conversation. From teacher pay to charter school funding laws, you can ask Florida lawmakers what their education priorities will be during the upcoming legislative session.  RSVP […]

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